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Monymusk Priory was a house of Augustinian canons based at Monymusk in Mar,
The first missionaries to arrive in
/ref> The Culdees received a land grant at Monymusk in 1130, probably to an already established religious community. They had the right to a dormitory, a refectory and an oratory with burial right in the parish cemetery, A Romanesque church was completed early in the second half of the 12th Century. Gille Críst,
/ref> There was a school, three gardens, a croft, pastures, a number of monastic buildings, and a fish-pond. There were two oratories, each about two miles from the priory. Some degree of control of the priory was held by"The Church and Priory of St. Mary, Monymusk", Church Service Society
/ref> For some time the priory held custody of
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
. It began as a Culdee
The Culdees (; ) were members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England in the Middle Ages. Appearing first in Ireland and then in Scotland, subsequently attached to cathedral or collegiate ...
foundation but later became Augustinian.
History
The first missionaries to arrive in Monymusk
Monymusk () is a planned village in the Marr area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
History
Malcolm Canmore first established Celtic foundation on the site in 1078 The Culdees of Munimusc are recorded as inhabiting the site in 1170. Monymusk Pri ...
were Culdees, possibly from Whithorn
Whithorn (; ), is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, "White/Shining House", built by ...
. A 9th century Pictish stone was found in a nearby field and is displayed at the Church of the Blessed Mary in Monymusk."Monymusk church history", Church of the Blessed Mary, Monymusk/ref> The Culdees received a land grant at Monymusk in 1130, probably to an already established religious community. They had the right to a dormitory, a refectory and an oratory with burial right in the parish cemetery, A Romanesque church was completed early in the second half of the 12th Century. Gille Críst,
Mormaer of Mar
There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...
constructed a monastery there in the last decade of the 12th century. The church likely served as both a parish church for local inhabitants and the conventual church for the canons who utilized the unusually long chancel.
By 1245, the transformation of the community into an Augustinian priory was complete with a Prior and eleven canons."Monymusk Priory", Canmore/ref> There was a school, three gardens, a croft, pastures, a number of monastic buildings, and a fish-pond. There were two oratories, each about two miles from the priory. Some degree of control of the priory was held by
St Andrews Cathedral Priory
St Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was one of the great religious houses in Scotland, and instrumental in the founding of the University of St Andrews.
History
Plans were made for i ...
. The bishops of St Andrews
St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...
and Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
disputed jurisdiction./ref> For some time the priory held custody of
Monymusk Reliquary
The Monymusk Reliquary is an eighth century Scottish House-shaped shrine, house-shape reliquaryMoss (2014), p. 286 made of wood and metal characterised by an Hiberno-Saxon art, Insular fusion of Gaels, Gaelic and Picts, Pictish design and Anglo-S ...
.
By the early 16th century the Priory had entered into a period of decline. The last religious Prior, David Farlie, was charged with murder and other crimes and was succeeded by lay commendator John Elphinstone in 1542, The priory was gutted by fire in 1554, and the canons could not afford to rebuild. About 1587, the Forbses used stone from the old Priory to build the present House of Monymusk. In 1617 the priory was incorporated into the lands of the bishopric of Dunblane. The church continued to serve the local community.
References
{{ReflistBibliography
* Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., ''Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man'', Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 93–4 * Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), ''The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries'', The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, (Edinburgh, 2001), pp. 155–9See also
* Prior of Monymusk, for a list of priors and commendators Listed monasteries in Scotland Augustinian monasteries in Scotland Buildings and structures in Aberdeenshire History of Aberdeenshire Category A listed buildings in Aberdeenshire Listed churches in Scotland Christian monasteries established in the 1130s Culdees Former Christian monasteries in Scotland